Aloha Medical Mission founder Dr. Ramon Sy, one of Hawai'i's five 2007 Jefferson Award recipients, will represent the state at the national Jefferson Awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., in June.

"This is about all the volunteers who do good things to help other people," said Sy (pronounced see), a semi-retired ear-nose-throat specialist who was born in Fu-an, China, raised in the Philippines and came to the United States in 1961.

Aloha Medical Mission has 800 regular members and more than 3,000 other volunteers, said Sy, who has lived in Hawai'i since 1968.

The internationally recognized humanitarian organization has gone on 75 missions to 10 countries, helped more than 190,000 patients, performed more than 9,000 operations, and provided free medical services worth more than $41 million at clinics in Bangladesh and Hawai'i.

At age 74, Sy has no plans to cut back on his volunteer work.

"Hopefully, I can do this another 25 years," he said. "The work is so gratifying and satisfying. I feel such 'ohana for all our volunteers."

The Jefferson Awards were founded in 1972 by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, U.S. Sen. Robert Taft Jr. and Sam Beard to encourage and honor volunteerism and community service.

Hawai'i's other 2007 Jefferson Award medal recipients are Rachel Ariola of 'Aiea for service to the Arthritis Foundation; hotel executive Russell Chun, a driving force behind the Lanakila Meals on Wheels annual holiday meal delivery program and also the O'ahu Workforce Investment Board; Assistant U.S. Attorney Loretta Sheehan for her work with the Domestic Violence Clearinghouse and Legal Hotline; and Masaichi Tasaka for his contributions to the boards of the Lanakila Rehabilitation Center, Caring for Life Foundation, and Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce.

Reach Rod Ohira at rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com.